


Catch me when I fall

by HaleyBuckley



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Blood, Blood and Injury, Drowning, Hospitalization, Hurt Evan "Buck" Buckley, Hurt/Comfort, Missing scene for 3x03, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:21:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23330824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HaleyBuckley/pseuds/HaleyBuckley
Summary: Missing Evan Buckley scene from 3x03 after Buck finds Eddie at the VA hospital (because the fire fam should have been with him more and taken care of him)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 267





	Catch me when I fall

“Buck, where’s Christopher?”

Eddie looks at his best friend. He can see pain in the other man’s eyes and he tries to say something but he can’t get the words out of his mouth.

“Why do you have his glasses?”

Eddies eyes search around in the mass off people, but he can’t see his son anywhere. He looks back at Buck who’s got tears streaming down his face now.

His breathing is shallow and Eddie can hear a rattling sound in his lungs, he doesn’t like. The other man is bleeding from a wound on his arm, even through the makeshift bandage wrapped around it. Eddie can see a tiny river of blood running down along Buck’s hand, down to his fingers. There’s scratches on his face, dangerously close to his eye and and Eddie fears the other man can’t even see right. Buck’s trembling badly and a painful sob escapes his mouth.

“Eddie - … we’ve been to the pier and I - I had him but then there was another wave and he was - he was just gone. I tried Eds - I tried.”

Eddie feels the wind being knocked out of him. He feels dizzy. He looks back at Buck who’s visibley swaying now. Eddie grabs his shoulder to steady him. He’s lost for words though and tears spill into his eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Eddie.”

Loud sobs are rattling Bucks body and Eddie can feel him shaking against him. His brain is working on overload. His son can’t be lost. He can’t be dead. Eddie wouldn’t survive this. 

He feels a shaky hand on his shoulder, squeezing it. He looks up again and looks at his friend. The other man’s eyes are full of tears and look glassy. Eddie isn’t even sure Buck can really see him.

“Please - … please, don’t hate me.”

Bucks voice is nothing but a whisper Eddie can barely hear it. It sounds rough and wet.

“Buck, I- …”

There’s suddenly a car convoy stopping in front of them and people are jumping out of the cars. He can see his Captain, Chimney and Hen get out of one of the cars. There’s more people streaming into the make shift hospital. It’s loud and chaotic. Then Eddie sees a woman climbing out of the back of a truck. She’s holding a kid in her arms. It’s wearing a yellow shirt and black vans. The vans Buck had bought Christopher for Christmas last year. They’ve got a red eagle on it and Eddie can see it clearly.

“Christopher?”

Eddie starts walking. His walking turns running towards the woman and the child. When he gets closer he can see that it is really his son the woman is holding in her arms. He runs over and breaks down in front of them. The woman doesn’t let go of the kid.

“Are you Buck?”

Eddie looks back at to where he left his friend standing alone. Buck looks ready to collapse and Eddie feels guilty for leaving him there like this. But then he sees his Captain and his team rushing to Buck’s side. He turns around and looks at the woman.

“No, I’m his father Eddie.”

The kid in the woman’s arm starts to struggle.

“Dad! Where is Buck? You need to find Buck.”

Eddie feels a weight being lifted of his shoulder. His chest finally able to suck in air again. The woman hands over Christopher to him.

“He was looking for Buck.”

Eddie grabs his son and turns him into a tight hug. He’s not lost. His son is alive. He sits him down on the floor to check him over.

“Are you hurt, buddy?”

Eddie sees a deep scratch on the boys cheek. He carefully lifts his shirt to look for bruises or other wounds but he seems to look fine. He presses his ear on the kids chest to check his breathing. It’s a bit shallow but alright.

“He never let go of the kid. This Buck. But then we got seperated and Christopher never stopped looking for Buck. That man saved us all.”

The woman puts a kiss on Christopher’s head.

“I’m glad you found your family little Chris.”

Eddie reaches for the woman’s hand and shakes it hastily.

“Thank you, thank you so much for looking out for him.”

He feels a tiny hand pulling at his shirt.

“Dad where is Buck? I want Buck.”

Eddie lifts up his son and carries him towards where Buck is.

“He’s over there, look.”

Christopher smiles.

“He - he saved my life like Superman did.”

Eddie holds his son tight while he makes his way over to where Buck is already sitting on one of the cots.

“That sure he is.”

He watches his team fuss over Buck but leaving him sit there alone probably to get some supplies. He quickly walks over and kneels down in front of him to sit down Christopher next to him on the cot. Bucks leaning on his arms heavily but pries one hand of it to gently cup the boys cheek. He’s breathing hard.

“You’re here, Chris.”

His voice is almost no existent, it’s just rasps coming out of his mouth. He sounds awful. His chest is moving way too fast. And Eddie knows his friend should be on oxygen sooner rather than later. Buck turns around to look at Eddie.

“I never let go - Eds - I didn’t let go.”

Eddie pats his friend on the shoulder.

“I know you didn’t buddy I know. Thank you, god thank you.”

Buck smiles and laughs a bit till his laugh turns into a loud coughing fit and he can’t stop. Eddie kneels down in front of him and sits his friend upright so he can get air in.

“Easy Buck. Slow breaths, come on.”

Eddie notices how pale Buck looks, his skin color almost being white. His baby blue eyes look glassy and dull.

“Right, I’m gonna get you some oxygen now.”

He gets up and walks over to the medical tent to ask for oxygen when he hears his son’s pained yell for him.

“Dad, you need to help Buck.”

Eddie runs out of the tent and see his son kneeling on the floor next to Buck. He must have fallen over. His body is shaking like a fish, spasms running through his body. He’s sucking in air but nothing goes out. The rattling nose coming out of his throat is loud and all Eddie can hear. He runs over to his hurt friend, scraping his knees open by falling down next to him.

“No,no no Buck, come on. Don’t do this.”

His fingers roam over the man’s body. Eddie feels his hands shaking but he needs to get back in control, he has to help his friend. Eddie grabs Buck’s face to look him over noticing the blue tinge to his lips. Buck’s eyes are wild and suddenly close completely. Eddie knows what’s happening, he sees it on Buck’s heaving chest and the noises coming out of his mouth.

He looks around in panic. He needs Hen and Chimney right now. Thankfully both of them walk out of the medical tent.

“Hen, Chim I need help. Buck’s drowning.”

He turns Buck on his side into recovery position. He sticks his fingers into the man’s mouth and down his throat. Buck’s gagging and trying to move away from Eddie’s hands.

“No Buck let me, there’s water in your lungs, you’re drowning. I need to get it out.”

He keeps on pushing against the other man’s tongue to reach his throat. He grabs something wet there and pulls it out. It’s seagrass and tiny pieces of debris he must have swallowed while being under water. Chimney and Hen are there now too. Chim already having oxygen with him. Hen helps Eddie restrict Buck’s body which is uncontrollably shaking. Buck’s eyes are half open but the pupils are rolled into his head and Eddie knows they need to help him quick. He pulls his hand out of the man’s mouth and there’s still water floating out of it. Chim puts the oxygen mask over Buck’s face but he’s not breathing. His chest suddenly stands still and his eyes fall shut completely.

“Shit, Chim he’s not breathing.”

Chim looks at Eddie with concerned eyes.

“We need to intubate, now.”

Chim looks over to where Chris is still sitting and Eddie knows he needs to get his son away from the scene. He doesn’t want him to see this. Hen pats on his shoulder.

“I’ll check him over and sit with him. You be with Buck, ok.”

Eddie nods gratefully and turns his attention back to Chim and Buck. Chim has already the intubation instruments out. Eddie shuffles closer and turns Buck on his back, his face is emotionless and pale. His lips turning bluer every second. 

He carefully lifts his friends head up so Chimney can insert the intubation instrument. He skillfully puts the tube in and adjusts the breathing bag to it. He puts tape around the tube and adjusts it on Buck’s face. Chim pushes the breathing bag and Eddie holds his breath while watching the other man’s chest closely. After a bit Buck’s chest goes up and down with Chim’s movement of the breathing bag and Eddie takes Chim’s stethoscope of his neck and puts it in his ears and on his friend’s chest. Buck’s breathing sounds sound like music to him and he allows himself to breath again.

“You’re in. He’s breathing again.”

Chim wipes away a tear and puts his hand on Buck’s forehead.

“You’ll be the death of me Buckaroo always scaring me like that. It’s no fun.”

Bobby comes out of the hospital tent and sees his team working on Buck and immediately runs over.

“What happened?”

His voice is full of panic but Eddie’s voice is stuck and he looks over to Chimney.

“Second drowing. We need to get him to the hospital.”

The Captain nods and yells for a gurney to get Buck inside.

Eddie grab’s Buck’s hand and lets his lips run over his hurt knuckles.

“Hang in there, Evan. Don’t leave us.”

Seconds later Cap appears with a gurney and they all together get him on it. Eddie walks next to them, not ever letting go of Buck’s hand. When they reach the emergency doors, he feels a hand on his shoulder.

“You need to let go now, Eddie. They need to help him.”

Eddie blinks away his tears and slowly moves his gaze from Buck to his Captain.

“I know, I know, he’ll be fine. He survived a freaking fire truck crushing him, he can survive this.”

The Captain tries to calm him down.

Eddie hesitately lets go and strokes over Buck’s head one more time.

“If you’re fucking dying on me Evan then I’m gonna hate you forever.”

He knows he’s lying because he could never hate his friend but he’s trying to overplay his pain with anger. He watches the doctors wheel him away and lets himself close his eyes for a minute.

*~*~* *~*~* *~*~*

Eddie must have nodded off for a second because the sudden beeping sound shakes him out of his slumber. His eyes shoot open in panic and he gribs Buck’s arm tighter, which he’s been holding since he sat down next to Buck after he got back from surgery.

“It’s ok Mr Diaz, the oximeter just slipped a bit from his finger. Mr Buckley’s stats are all still good.” 

He takes in a deep breath and relaxes a bit. The nurse checks over Buck quickly and then he’s back to being alone with his friend. He looks at the clock, rubbing hard on his eyes, so he can see white spots. It’s been two days and Buck’s still asleep next to him. The doctors could fix his lungs and except for a broken rib and some cuts, exhaustion and dehydration, Buck is fine. They had kept Buck sedated for another day though, to let his body and lung rest. He’s still on a ventilator and it stings in Eddies heart everytime he looks at the tube in his best friends mouth. Buck’s chest falls slowly with the rythm of the breathing machine. He’s got a bit color back. His cuts are cleaned and bandaged. The scratch near his eye being one of the deepest. Thankfully it didn’t hurt his eye. The doctors sealed the wound on his arm. The blood thinners Buck’s still taking made the blood flow out quickly so they had to give him a blood transfusion while he was still in surgery. He’s been reacting well to it and his blood levels are almost back to normal.

Eddie gently runs his fingers along Buck’s arm, stopping at his pulse point. The steady beat of his pulse calming him down and he leans back on his chair.

A sudden knock on the door makes him turn around.

“Hey Eddie, how is he?”

Captain Nash walks into the room and stands himself next to Eddie. He puts a hand on his shoulder.

“He’s fighting as always. They took the sedation off yesterday so he should come around soon.”

“How’s his breathing, he’s still on the ventilator?”

Eddie can feel the Captain’s hand shake a bit. He knows how much Buck means to the Captain. They’ve got a long way to go and Eddie even thinks he sees him like a son. 

“His breathing is better yeah, they’ll take him off the ventilator when he’s awake.”

“Good, that’s good. Do you need anything, you’ve been here for a while.”

Eddie shakes his head. He’s fine as long as Buck’s chest keeps on falling and rising. 

He checked over his son while Buck was in surgery. He took him home and stayed with him all night because he was crying out for Buck. In the morning Carla came around and promised to watch Christopher for a bit so Eddie could check on Buck. Since then he’s been in and out of the hospital to take care of Christ but also Buck. He promised his son to look after his friend and bring him to the hospital as soon as Buck was awake. Christoper cleary needing to see his best friend.

“You could sit with me for a while if you want, Cap?”

The Captain nods and places a chair next to Eddie’s. They sit together for a while till Eddie feels a slight movement against his palm. He looks over to Buck’s hand and sees it moving. He gets up from his chair and leans over the bed to look at Buck’s face. The man’s eyelids are flattering and he can see the blue of his eyes for a second.

“Buck, hey Buck. Open your eyes.”

The breathing machine starts screeching and Buck’s chest is moving way too fast. He fights the breathing machine.

“Hey, hey Evan, you need to open your eyes. Look at me, you’re at the hospital, you’re fine. You need to control your breathing.”

Buck snaps his eyes open and they roam around wildly, his hands shoot in the air to reach for the breathing tube in his mouth. Captain Nash rushes off his chair to grab the young man’s arms to prevent him from hurting himself.

Eddie gently grabs Buck’s face with his hands, trying to get his attention. 

“Ev, come back to me, please come back. Look at me. It’s me Eddie, you’re safe. Christopher is safe, ok. Please snap out of it.”

Suddenly all the movement stops and Buck’s gaze wanders to Eddie’s face, his eyes finally focusing on the other man.

“Yeah, that’s right, focus on me, you’re alright, it’s alright. You’re on a ventilator but they will take the tube out now, so stay calm.”

Nurses and doctors are rushing in and shove Eddie and the Captain out of the way. As soon as Eddie loses contact with Buck though the heartmonitor starts screaming again.

“Can you maybe- …”

Eddies doesn’t need to be told twice. He walks back to his friends bedside and grabs his hand, softly rubbing circles on his skin. The heartmonitor calms down and the doctors go to work. Seconds later the tube is out and Buck is settled back into to bed with a nasual cannula sitting under his nose. One last check up and the doctors leave the room again. 

Buck blinks sleepily at the two men.

“Christopher?”

Buck’s voice sounds raw and painful and he swallows hard. Eddie smiles though because it’s typical his best friend being worried about someone else instead of himself.

“He’s home with Carla. He’s good, worried about you though.”

Buck lowers his head and takes in a deep breath which makes him cough a bit.

“I’m sorry.”

Eddie’s confused and frowns.

“What are you sorry for?”

Buck avoids looking at Eddie and picks on a lose bit of skin on his finger.

“For losing Chris.”

Eddie gets closer and puts his hand on his leg covered by the blanket.

“What? You save him man, you are the reason he’s still with me.”

That gets a reaction and Buck looks up at Eddie, tears in his eyes.

“Yeah?”

Eddie nods and squeezes his leg gently.

“Yeah. I can’t thank you enough for that. Thank you.”

“And you saved a lot of other people too. They told us how you helped everyone. You did good, kid.”

The Captain softly pats his shoulder when the door opens and Chimney and Hen stick their head’s in.

“We know it’s just two at a time but damn we’re desperate to see you kid.”

Buck chuckles which makes him cough again.

“Take it easy ok?”

Chimney and Hen walk over to the bed and Hen softly puts a kiss on Buck’s forehead.

“I’m glad you’re alright kid. You scared me.”

Chimney sits down on the bed next to his legs and pats him softly on his knee.

“Just don’t do this again Buckaroo, my nerves, ok?”

Buck nods and lets his head fall back on the pillow. Eddie can see that exhaustion is taking over the younger man.

“You get some more rest, ok? We’ll be here when you wake up.”

Buck smiles but his eyes are already falling shut. The team looks at each other and Eddie lets out a sigh in relieve. 

They all still sit with him hours later to make sure their friend is ok, no their brother, best friend, son. 

Because they’re family. 

They stick together. 

Always.


End file.
